T5 or T8s - whats best for me

[Verminator]

Basically thats the dilema, do i go with T5's or T8's over my tank. The tank is a custom built ND Aquatics 4ft 61G. Measurements are 48"x22"x16" (LxHxW). The tank itself will be home to my breeding Jack Dempsey cichlids with the male being the Electric Blue strain. I plan on this being a South American/Amazon biotope to put it simply. Redmoor wood as roots with slate rocks scattered everywhere. The only plants i plan on having are Amazon Frogbit, Echinodorus Uruguayensis, Echinodorus Bleheri and possibly another smaller Echi, not 100% on that though. The tank won't have CO2, won't be dosing ferts, although i may stretch to the odd root tablet every once in a while to perk them up.

Ultimately i don't know what lighting and how much to get for this to work. T5 lighting seems to be 50% more expensive than T8 and i'm aware that T5 is better. I can't see myself justifying spending £300 just on lights for a tank without many plants, £150 on T8's sounds alot more reasonable Past experiences with T8's have been a catastrophic fail with plant growth on a Juwel Rio 180, however my growth in a 2ft planted using x2 24W T5HO is fantastic. On a tank this size where its not going to be a planted tank what do you propose is sufficient to maintain my biotope.

Cheers, James

 

[George Farmer]

I'd go for 2 x 38w T8 with reflectors, personally.

If you provide decent nutrients, especially through the substrate then you should be able to grow swords.

If you have a hood then a basic twin 40w T8 controller costs around £30, and T8 tubes from about £3 each from Lamp Specs.

If it's open top then a basic T8 luminaire will suffice -

http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/addtob ... 3&rets=228

 

[Verminator]

Thank you George, coming from you that is very convincing to hear

Being a Jack Dempsey tank its only going to be a shallow sand bedding, so naturally i'm a little concerned any swords i have may have some difficulty rooting in properly. Although i have an existing mature running filter + water in my current 3ft i plan on cycling this new tank a month or so anyway to allow plants to root before i release my brute in there. Although in saying that he isnt actually that much of a brute, he doesnt bully any fish, he doesnt eat any plants, he certainly doesnt redecorate in his current tank. So he might be ok, however i'm taking nothing to chance.

I've thought about using the rocks to place flat(ish) on the base of the tank and create what will in principal be a rocky shield around the base of the plants, also using some wood to the same effect. Would you have any recommendation as to how thick the sand aught to be, atleast around the swords for them to root in properly.

The tank itself will be hoodless, i'm don't know if your familiar with ND Aquatics tanks, they do have a cover with what i think are sliding trays on top. Hopefully transparent enough for lighting to enter the tank (i would assume). If not would be advisable? I'm sure i've seen a x3 38W T8 Arcadia light unit for sale somewhere online in the last few days. However i can't seem to find any information on this since, might have been someone selling something telling porkies.

That link you gave me George, does the unit have a built in reflector. I'd assume so right? I think my current Arcadia does, not sure if thats a standard thing or not...

 

[George Farmer]

Arcadia's older units had 3 x T8. They stopped making them due to new legislation regarding waterproofing. So if you manage to find one it will be from old stock.

I understand the newer units have basic reflectors, so the tubes do have individual reflectors.

Also consider one of these T5 units - http://www.aquatics-online.co.uk/addtob ... 1&rets=237

I'd go for at least 5cm substrate depth and try to get a relatively coarse sand, as fine sand compacts much easier making it higher maintenance.

 

[Verminator]

That T5 unit looks the same as my 2ft Hagen GLO x2 24W T5, is it the same jsut a bigger version. The rpcie throws me off, obviously its without the bulbs which i'll have to add and that'll bump the price up a little...but it still seems aloit cheaper than if i was to buy a 4ft Hagen GLO T5HO from my LFS. Puzzling.

It doesnt state any obvious differences or am i missing something.

I actually already have my planned sand, don't know if its enough to get a nice covering of 5cm, but i bought a big bag of Unipac Aquarium Silica Sand Large Size. Hopefully it'll be ok It certainly looks the part in the bag, inside the aquarium is another matter. May have to purchase another bag, a smaller one if i can get one.

 

[Verminator]

After some quick scouting around i've found some Hagen GLO T5HO x2 39W (91cm) light units for about £65-70. Even without the bulbs the pricing is about right so it looks like i've found my light unit.

One or two members on another forum (TFF) have brought up the issue of algae in my tank under such strong lighting. The tank will have 2 fish in, its going to be 280(ish) litres and water cahnges will be 30% (est) every week. Is the T5 lighting likely to cause me any issues. Correct if i'm wrong, but it seems that with T5 i could be staving off algae attacks regularly seeing as it will be a low plant mass with big old T5 lighting, or i'm going to have struggling plants because the lil ol T8's arent proving enough. I suppose i could run the T5's with one bulb on at a time. Then i get thinking of the cover on top of the tank might subdue the T5's just enough to make it ideal for my tank.

When i sat down and thought about this tank i really didnt imagine the biggest issue i would have would be the lighting to use on the tank, this really has come as a shock to me.

 

[Verminator]

obviously its without the bulbs which i'll have to add and that'll bump the price up a little...

Lol how wrong was i, nevermind